Personal Revival

Revival has always been on my heart since I learned what it is. Revival is a move of the Spirit of God, but there are things we can do that will help our own personal revival, things we can do that position us.

In his book Revival Glory, Dr. John Shiver wrote, “Revival can come as a personal revival in the heart of an individual…a visitation of the Holy Spirit’s presence that produces a deeper love and commitment to God on a personal, individual level. … Ultimately, it is this type of personal revival in individual hearts that forms the foundation for all the other types of revival…”

Everything will change when we’re revived, but we have to be the ones that cry out for change. We have to be hungry for Him. We can tell God, “I know I’m not revived and I’m not satisfied to live un-revived. I’m not satisfied to just go to church and do this stuff.”

A revival came on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Jesus told them to wait until the Holy Spirit came on them because He knew they needed revival to go on and preach the Gospel. When you’re revived, you’ll go on and preach the Gospel. (You’ll preach the Gospel to a chair if you have to; that’s how revived you’ll be.) All fear will be gone and your life will be ablaze for Him.

I don’t know about you, but that’s what I’d like my life to be. And if it means I have to go to the Garden of Gethsemane for a while, come face to face just God and me and get rid of some things, repent and make some things right, I believe I’ll be filled with the fire. I want the fire. But first we have to know that we need revival.

It says in Isaiah 44 He’s going to pour out His Spirit on him who is thirsty. I’m really thirsty! I want more. But I’ve got to do some things. I have to pay attention to God. I have to pay attention to His Word. I have to fellowship with the Holy Spirit. I can sit here and say I’m thirsty, but nothing will change if I don’t crack open the Book or I don’t lift up a praise or a worship to God.

I don’t want to just live an “ordinary Christian life.” Do you? We have to have hearts that are seeking after Him – then we will each have our own personal revival.